Software

Question 1

What is software?

Answer 1

Computer programs that instruct a computer’s execution, including design documents and specifications.

Question 2

How does software relate to computer hardware?

Answer 2

Software provides instructions that hardware follows to perform tasks.

Question 3

When did software development begin?

Answer 3

With digital computers in the mid‑20th century.

Question 4

What were early programs written in?

Answer 4

Machine language specific to the hardware.

Question 5

Why were high‑level programming languages introduced in 1958?

Answer 5

To make software more human‑readable, portable, and easier to develop.

Question 6

Who first used the word “software”?

Answer 6

Mathematician John Wilder Tukey in 1958.

Question 7

What were early high‑level programming languages?

Answer 7

Fortran, Lisp, and COBOL.

Question 8

What are the two main types of software?

Answer 8

Operating systems (OS) and application software.

Question 9

What are the three main purposes of an operating system?

Answer 9

Allocate hardware resources
Provide hardware abstraction
Offer common services (like network and disk access)

Question 10

Why are operating systems essential?

Answer 10

They allow applications to run on different hardware without being rewritten.

Question 11

What is application software?

Answer 11

Programs that perform specific user tasks using OS resources.

Question 12

Why is application software diverse?

Answer 12

Because computers can perform a huge range of tasks.

Question 13

What is the traditional software model?

Answer 13

Software is purchased, downloaded, installed, and run on the customer’s hardware.

Question 14

What is Software as a Service (SaaS)?

Answer 14

A delivery model where software is hosted online and accessed via the Internet.

Question 15

By 2023, what became the primary way companies deliver apps?

Answer 15

SaaS delivered via web applications.

Question 16

What are the stages of software development?

Answer 16

Design, programming, testing, release, and maintenance.

Question 17

What drives software development?

Answer 17

Requirements from users.

Question 18

What drives software maintenance?

Answer 18

Events like bug fixes, change requests, and new features.

Question 19

Why is reuse common during development?

Answer 19

Using COTS or open‑source software speeds up development.

Question 20

How much of software cost is maintenance?

Answer 20

Often 75% or more of total lifetime cost.

Question 21

What is software quality?

Answer 21

Meeting requirements and customer expectations.

Question 22

Why build quality early?

Answer 22

It is more cost‑effective than fixing issues later.

Question 23

What is the main goal of software testing?

Answer 23

To identify bugs and ensure key functions work as intended.

Question 24

What is a safety‑critical system?

Answer 24

A system where failures may cause injury or death.

Question 25

What is a software bug?

Answer 25

A flaw causing the system to behave incorrectly.

Question 26

What is a vulnerability?

Answer 26

A bug that creates a security risk.

Question 27

What is a zero‑day vulnerability?

Answer 27

A flaw unknown to developers and unpatched.

Question 28

Why did the Internet greatly increase security risks?

Answer 28

It allowed remote cyberattacks.

Question 29

What is malware?

Answer 29

Malicious software allowing attackers to run their own code.

Question 30

What defines a programming language?

Answer 30

A formal system for writing software that can be translated into machine instructions.

Question 31

What is machine code?

Answer 31

Hardware‑specific instructions executed directly by the CPU.

Question 32

What is assembly language?

Answer 32

A human‑readable version of machine code.

Question 33

What do high‑level languages provide?

Answer 33

Human readability, portability, and abstraction from hardware.

Question 33

What does a compiler do?

Answer 33

Translates high‑level code into machine code before execution.

Question 34

What does an interpreter do?

Answer 34

Converts code into machine instructions at run time.

Question 35

How is software protected legally?

Answer 35

Through copyright for source code and sometimes patents for processes.

Question 36

Which is faster: compiled or interpreted languages?

Answer 36

Compiled (often 10–100× faster).

Question 37

What is proprietary software?

Answer 37

Software distributed under restrictive licenses.

Question 37

What does a software license do?

Answer 37

Defines how users may use, share, or modify the software.

Question 38

What is open-source software?

Answer 38

Software that allows free use, sharing, and modification.

Question 39

What are software patents used for?

Answer 39

To protect novel software inventions, though they are controversial.

Question 40

How has software changed daily life?

Answer 40

It powers appliances, elevators, phones, cars, and nearly all modern devices.

Question 41

What major technologies were enabled by software?

Answer 41

The Internet, video games, mobile phones, GPS, and digital communication tools.

Question 42

How has software changed creative work?

Answer 42

Enabled CAD, 3D modeling, digital editing, and animation.